The present development concerns a product dispensing system employed in point of sale merchandising.
The present disclosure relates particularly to shelving systems for feeding containers forward. More specifically, it relates to modular gravity fed shelving systems for fragile products, such as individual thin wall containers of a dairy product, such as yogurt. Yogurt is typically sold in individual cups or containers in supermarkets and the like. Traditionally, yogurt is sold in refrigerator cases including generally horizontal shelves upon which the yogurt containers, having planar bases and planar tops, are stacked. The yogurt or other refrigerated product can be displayed on generally horizontal shelves on which a customer needs to pull the product forward if the product is not at the front end of the shelf. Alternatively, such products can be displayed on somewhat downwardly slanted shelves which feed product forward by gravity. It should also be appreciated that pusher assemblies could be employed to urge dairy product containers such as yogurt, cream cheese, butter or sour cream containers or tubs forward on a shelf. Many such containers have planar bases and planar tops so that they can be stacked two or three high on a merchandising shelf.
Gravity feed systems are known to move products towards the front of display or storage cases. While it is now known to gravity feed yogurt towards the front end of a refrigerated display case, the currently known retainers positioned at the front end of such yogurt display trays or shelves are not optimal. More specifically, it is known to provide flexible fingers or tabs attached to each side wall or divider wall of a channel defined in the tray. These fingers or tabs are not particularly sturdy and may become damaged. Replacement of the fingers, tabs or arms may necessitate replacing the divider wall itself, since these elements are generally fastened to the dividing wall. Stacked product on the shelf may tip during either removal or restocking of the product, which is disadvantageous.
One difficulty with current merchandising systems in which several containers are stacked atop each other on a merchandising shelf is that the containers can become canted or tilted on the shelf. This impedes access to one or more containers of product and may dissuade a potential consumer from purchasing product on that shelf. Thus, a need exists for a shelving system which would reduce the tendency of products on an upper level of a stack of products to tip in relation to the subjacent layer of products supporting them.